Improved coffin



2 sheets Sheet W. G. ALGEO.

Coffins.

JO 198,730 v Patentedfi m-11,1870.

-PElERs, PHOTO LTHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON a c 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

w. a. new.

Paterited Jan. 11,1871). I

fitment @llflitt.

WILLIAM G. ALGEO, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA Letters Patent No. 98,730, dated January 11, 1870.

IMPROVED corrm.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making past of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be a known that I, WILLIAM G. Ancno, 0t Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvementin Burial-Gaskets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference b'eing had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the coiiin with the lid closed, and

Figure 2 is a sectional end view of the same.

My improvement relates to the top or cover of burial-caskets, whetherconstructed of wood, metal, or other material, and is designed to prevent the annoyance incident to the use of a detachable cover, such as is ordinarily employed for coflins and burial-cases.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my improvement, I will proceed to describe the same, as applied to a wooden burial-casket.

The burial-casket represented in the drawinghas straight sides, a a and b b, although it is not necessary, in using my invention, that the ends and sides should be straight, it being only requisite, so far as the end pieces b l) are concerned, that the bottomof the circular groovec, in each of theend pieces b I), should be in the same plane all around, and thatthc grooves should be parallel the one to the other.

The end pieces I) b areat light angles to the bottom piece (I of the casket, while the side pieces a a maybe inclined inward, toward the bottom, as shown in the drawing.

Within the-case, thus formed, are a false bottom, e,

parallel to the bottom piece 11, and false sides, f f,

. which extend from end toend of the casket, and are sides of the casket are straight),a semi-cylinder, of

such length that its ends will enter a circular groove, 0, in each of the end pieces I) l), which grooves not only support the cover Inand keep it in place, but serve as guides, in whichit moves as it is-being operated or shut...

The upper part of the groove, at one or both ends, may be formed by a head or strip, 5, screwed onto the top of the end pieces I) b.

If of sheet metal, the edges of the lid may be strengthened by a strip of iron, liveted on the inner side, unto which are screwed or riveted the pins n n, of which there maybe one, two, or more, on each side; but the pins,"on one side, must be removable, by

being screwed, or otherwise detachably secured into the side of the cover, near the edge, as the cover cannot be opened unless the pins 21), on one side, are removed.'

There should be notches 0 in the upperedge of the outer side piecesa a, to receive. the pins n n, although this is not absolutely necessary, but adds to the appearance of the casket. a i

The interior of the grooves c c, in which the top or cover h slides, are lined with cloth or soft leather,or other suitable material,, so that the cover may be turned, to open or shut it, without noise;

The cover is fastened, when shut, -by screwing the removable pins n, ouone side, and is opened by unscrewing and: removing these pins, and turning it I around, by taking hold of the fixed pins n, on the other side.

If desired, the cover'may be, made in two or more sections, as,-for instance, a piece may be made separate from the main portion of the top, to cover the upper part of the casket, which maybe opened, so as to expose to view the face of the corpse, while the rest of the casket remains covered.

If the burial-casket, instead of having straight sides, be made larger at the breast, orcoflin-shaped, the top or cover, instead of being a right cylinder, may be made, as shown in fig. 4, of suitable shape to conform to the shape of the casket, the ends being of the shape'of an arc of a circle.

Having thus described my improvement,

, What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The combination, with a bnrial-casket, of a revolving top, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof, I, the said WILLIAM. G. AL- enofhave hereunto set my hand.

'WM'. G. ALGEO.

Witnesses:

Tnos. B. Kenn, WM, B. Nantes, 

